ROUSSEAU.

123

He was still a mere boy — or rather, had just arrivedat that age where boyhood ceases and manhood begins.— He had led a precarious life. The kindness ofmadame de Warens was all in which he could put histrust; and that had failed him during the space of nearlytwo years. Want had frequently stared him in theface. He could gain bare necessaries only by his ownexertions. Of a romantic unsteady disposition, anystable position, holding out positive remuneration anddemanding regular conduct, was swiftly abandoned ;while he also, through some strange conformation ofmind, appeared incapable of using the genius then inembryo within him, for the acquirement of such know-ledge as would have insured him an honourable position.Thus the precious years of youth wasted away imper-ceptibly, and all that he gained, apparently, as of accountfor future years, was a knowledge of music. It maybe that this wandering, desultory, precarious existence,fed hy romantic dreams and burning affections, was bestadapted to develope his peculiar talents— but it certainlywas not such as to form habits of mind conducive to hap-piness. It engendered a sort of bold and restless self-confidence, founded rather on that which he could do with-out, than on that which he could attain — it inspired mis-trust or disdain for the assistance of others as being of noultimate avail to his welfare; he acquired through it acapacity of living for the present day, without care forthe coming one; and an inability to endure restraint,even when restraint was an imperious duty ; — in short,a restless sense of unused liberty. Independence is as-suredly the basis of true genius—but then it is that whichholds fast by duty; — this last better portion was notdeveloped in Rousseau till a later day— and then in soimperfect a manner, and tainted by so much, first ofwhim, and lastly of madness, that he reaped little benefitfrom the lessons of experience.

He continued to fulfil his duties as secretary for twoyears ; and showed his aptitude for things beyond, bymaking a study at the same time of arithmetic and geo-